Craft distillers: direct shipping.

Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which is administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the application, issuance, and suspension of alcoholic beverage licenses. Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of craft distillers and prohibits issuance of a craft distiller's license to any person, or any officer, director, employee, or agent of a person, among others, who manufactures more than 150,000 gallons of distilled spirits per year within or without the state, as specified. Existing law authorizes a craft distiller to sell up to the equivalent of 2.25 liters in any combination of prepackaged containers per day per consumer of distilled spirits manufactured or produced by the licensee at its premises to a consumer. This bill, until January 1, 2024, would authorize a licensed craft distiller to directly ship distilled spirits manufactured or produced by the licensee at its premises to a consumer pursuant to specified requirements. The bill would prohibit the amount shipped from exceeding the equivalent of 2.25 liters in any combination of prepackaged containers per day per consumer and would require that the distilled spirits be solely for the consumer's personal use and not for resale. The bill would require the craft distiller to maintain adequate records of the shipments and to provide those records to the department upon request. The bill would require the craft distiller to require the common carrier to obtain the signature of any individual 21 years of age or older before delivering any distilled spirits shipped. The bill would prescribe labeling requirements for the containers in which the distilled spirits are shipped. The bill would make a statement of legislative findings regarding the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on craft distillers and the need to provide craft distillers with a limited authorization to ship distilled spirits, as specified. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.